Katy Perry, Ads Are Big Draws for Many Super Bowl Fans

While the Super Bowl may be the biggest sporting event of the year, a sizable number of viewers are more attracted to the big budget commercials and the halftime show by pop star Katy Perry.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 38% of Americans who plan to watch the Super Bowl think the commercials are more interesting than the game itself. This is up four points from last year. Half (51%) of viewers find the game itself to be more interesting, but this finding has been trending downwards since 2011 when 58% felt that way. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Sixty-eight percent (68%) say they will be tuning into the halftime show, up seven points from last year. Nineteen percent (19%) say they won’t watch Perry's performance, but 13% haven't made up their minds yet.

Women are twice as likely as men to find the commercials more interesting and are far more likely to watch the halftime show. Eighty percent (80%) of viewers who are more interested in the commercials plan to watch the halftime show, compared to 61% of those who are more focused on the actual game.

Forty-five percent (45%) of viewers think Katy Perry is a good choice to play the halftime show. Twenty-six percent (26%) disagree, but nearly as many (29%) don't know Perry well enough to have an opinion.

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The survey of 558 Adults Planning to Watch the Super Bowl was conducted on January 28-29, 2015 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology. 

Fifty-four percent (54%) of viewers believe the "Deflategate" controversy has overshadowed the actual Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. 

Generally speaking, the more one watches football. the more likely he or she is to say the game is more interesting than the commercials. 

Adults 40 and over are more likely to find the game more interesting. 

Those under 40 are more likely to approve of the choice of Perry for the halftime show and to plan on watching her. 

Last year, viewers said Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers were a good choice by a 40% to 33% margin. Super Bowl viewers were similarly divided over Beyoncé as the halftime performer in 2013. Viewers were most enthusiastic about the Black Eyed Peas in 2011 and the least enthusiastic about  Madonna in 2012 and The Who in 2010.

In September, 21% of football fans predicted the Denver Broncos would win the Super Bowl. Seventeen (17%) picked the Seahawks, while eight percent (8%) predicted the New England Patriots. 

Last year, Super Bowl viewers were closely divided over whether they would be watching the game intensely or mostly socializing during the big game. 

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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